Avenue des Croix du Feu
An ambitious project that aims to redevelop a road transit area into a multimodal and green space, benefiting all users and local residents.
The redevelopment of Avenue des Croix de Feux involves a 3-kilometre section of the middle ring road (R21) between the Gros Tilleul roundabout and the canal, with the aim of creating an urban boulevard. The aim of the project is to ensure the urban and environmental integration of this important traffic artery, improve the living environment for local residents, enhance road safety and promote soft mobility, while guaranteeing car accessibility.
This project is rooted in the philosophy of the regional mobility plan and meets the shared ambitions of the Brussels-Capital Region and the City of Brussels to restructure and redevelop the road to improve the quality of life for the residents of Neder-Over-Heembeek and to promote soft mobility.
The redevelopment will not be at the expense of commuters and residents of the northern suburbs of Brussels: traffic capacity will be maintained. The speed reductions planned in the project will be offset by the removal of traffic lights. In terms of mobility, they will also benefit from an improved and safer cycle route, which is an important link in the RER cycle network connecting the cycle paths along the canal.
An important element is the consolidation of both directions of traffic on the same road, Avenue Van Praet. This will free up large areas of green space. Once the project is completed, residents of Avenue des Croix du Feu will be able to open their windows and enjoy their terraces: they will find a walking path instead of a busy thoroughfare.
This path forms a link between the regional green walkways and a string of parks and green spaces: the gardens of the Chinese Pavilion, Laeken Park, Osseghem Park, the Neptune Fountain, the Royal Greenhouses and the Japanese Tower. To enhance the parkway, small squares are planned on either side of the Chinese Pavilion park, near De Wand station and Avenue de l'Araucaria.
The project also includes the construction of an iconic cycle and pedestrian bridge to allow the parkway to cross the middle ring road.
In terms of parking, the project is almost balanced, with a total loss of only around ten spaces. Spaces will be lost in unregulated areas around the parks, while the redevelopment of the local road network on Avenue des Croix du Feu will restore parking spaces along the roadside and compensate for the loss of 36 spaces on the R21.
The parkway project was designed and developed in conjunction with the STIB's new tram line 10 project. It will remove a problematic intersection between the new tram line and the road traffic connecting to the A12 motorway. It will also offer exceptional comfort in terms of space, environment and accessibility for users of the Heembeek transport hub and other stops on Avenue des Croix du Feu (Buissonnet and Araucaria).
In terms of other environmental and urban planning aspects, the project aims to set an example in terms of the quality of public space, safety, noise reduction, rainwater management, soil demineralisation, biodiversity, etc.
